Kampala, Uganda (AP) – If the next pope comes from sub-Saharan Africa, he will be the first in Catholic church history. Catholic Africans see this as a vision, although some are cautiously optimistic that Pope Francis’ successor may be their continent’s black cardinal.
The answer will soon be as the Cardinal is eligible to elect the new pope to open next Wednesday at Sistine Church.
Who do Africans think is “Papabir”?
At least three African cardinals currently known as “Papabir” are used by Vatican observers to describe possible competitors leading the Catholic Church.
They are Robert Sarah, the Cardinal of Guinea, Peter Turkson of Ghana and Fridolin Ambongo of Congo.
If either of them were chosen, he would be the first African pope in more than 1,500 years and the first pope in sub-Saharan Africa. This historical record has made many people eager for change in Africa, but not overly hopeful.
Before the 2005 meeting of Pope Benedict XVI, Francis Arinze even raised questions about whether the world is ready to prepare for a black pope from Africa around the highly respected cardinal born in Nigeria.
The Catholicism is growing in the continent
Twenty years later, Catholicism continued to decline in Europe as it grew in developing countries. In Africa, Catholics are faster than anywhere else.
According to a recent Vatican report, at least 20% of the global Catholic community is in Africa, “characterized by the highly dynamic spread of the Catholic Church.”
Some say there are popes from Africa or Asia – also seeing strong growth in Catholicism, which will show a powerful message of inclusiveness. But, as Francis' Pope shows, inclusive efforts can alienate many others, even breed dissent.
Three possible pope candidates from Africa – Sarah, Ambogo and Turkusen – are seen as an orthodox view of some of the hot butt issues the Catholic Church struggles to reflect broader social conservatism of the 1.3 billion population. The orthodox concept of African Catholicism is closely related to Pope Francis’s mean vision and understanding of all marginalized groups, including LGBTQ+ Catholics.
The real-life situation is reflected in the fictional Oscar-nominated film “Condave”, one of four contenders for the pope is the socially conservative cardinal in Nigeria.
What position did African competitors take?
Congo has the largest number of Catholics baptized in Africa.
Since 2018, Ambongo, Archbishop of the Congo capital, signed a statement last year from the African Bishops’ Conference, rejecting the Vatican declaration, allowing pastors to provide spontaneous, non-obligatory blessings to same-sex couples seeking God’s grace.
This statement is seen as a condemnation of Francis, asserting that same-sex unions “are contrary to God’s will.” It cites biblical teaching that denounces homosexuality and asserts that same-sex relations “contradict cultural norms” in Africa.
But it was Sarah, the former Vatican director of etiquette, who presented a more open challenge to Francis.
Sarah is a favorite of traditionalists, prefers silent prayers, and is a follower of the Old Latin crowd. He is a staunch defender of his long doctrinal belief.
After Francis reinjected restrictions to celebrate the relaxed Latin masses in 2021, Sarah responded to the tweet, citing Benedict's initial 2007 law to ease restrictions. His posts are accompanied by pictures of Benedict wearing Francis avoiding the red cape of the night of election.
Sarah reiterated a year ago by persuading Benedict to co-written a book when he orchestrated the media blaze when Francis was considering arranging a married man to address the Amazon clergy shortage. As the scandal progresses, Benedict removes himself as a co-author.
Sarah, 79, officially retired in 2021 but is still eligible for the conference. Since Francis' death on April 21, he has become a favorite among European traditionalists who want to see Francis' progressive policies.
For many Africans, Pope Francis is a beloved
But in Africa, where Francis is widely loved for his interactions with the continental crisis, many Catholics just want a pope who will become a loyal leader for everyone.
“For us, whether he is African, white or black.
The father of the two said he thought Africans could rise, especially “we already have fully capable African cardinals.”
Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin, a primate of the Tigray Ethiopian region's Host, hopes that the next pope will be as compassionate as Francis, who has repeatedly called for attention to the war on Tigray in 2021 and 2022.
But the prospect of having a black pope is exciting, he said.
“It was very important for me to have a passionate, dedicated and competent African-led Catholic Church, and seeing it throughout my life was an absolute desire,” he said.
Emily Mwaka doesn't like guessing the next pope, especially about the color of his skin. So when the Catholic head of Kampala, Uganda, recently met a small group of Christians discussing a newspaper article about the pope competitors (including those from Africa), she asked them to stop it.
She said that even if the next pope is “green”, he “will be for all of us.”
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Associated Press reporters contributed to the report at Samuel Getachew in Tigray, Ethiopia and Michael Atit from WAU in South Sudan.
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